"I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)" is a 1967 single released by American soul singer Aretha Franklin. Released on Atlantic Records, as the first big hit of her career, it became a defining song for Franklin, peaking at number one on the rhythm and blues charts and number nine on the pop charts. The B-side was "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man". Before this Franklin had placed only two Top 40 singles on the pop chart during her modest tenure with Columbia Records. Background and recording Aretha Franklin had made nine albums while under contract to Columbia Records but had remained commercially unsuccessful. When Columbia Records let Franklin's contract lapse in 1966, Atlantic Records producer Jerry Wexler quickly signed her, taking her in January 1967 to Muscle Shoals, Alabama, along with recording engineer Tom Dowd and Franklin's then-husband Ted White. Wexler had arranged for Chips Moman and Tommy Cogbill from Stax to join the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section at Rick Hall's FAME Studios. Musicians on the record included Ken Laxton on trumpet, King Curtis and Charles Chalmers on tenor saxophone, Willie Bridges on baritone saxophone, Spooner Oldham on Wurlitzer electronic piano, Chips Moman and Jimmy Johnson on guitar, Tommy Cogbill on bass guitar, and Roger Hawkins on drums. The first song they worked on was one that Franklin had brought with her, written by Ronnie Shannon. A previously unreleased demo version of the song was included as the opening track on the 2007 album Rare & Unreleased Recordings from the Golden Reign of the Queen of Soul. After signing Franklin, Wexler requested her to record a blues song. Franklin later says of her Atlantic tenure that "they just told me to sit on the piano and sing". From the very first chord that Aretha played on the piano, it was clear to everyone that it was a magic moment. It was at that point that Spooner Oldham, who had been hired to play piano, stepped aside to play the electric piano. Within minutes of Franklin's recording, Wexler knew he had a hit. The FAME session was later disrupted by a fight between Ted White and trumpeter Ken Laxton, leaving the B-side, "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man" unfinished. Wexler recorded more songs with Franklin in Atlantic's New York City studio, with some members of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section flown in to complete "Do Right Woman"